The Ones He Left Behind
by Center of the Galaxy
Summary: Cloud has been fighting Sephiroth for 3 months. Now, he returns to find Radiant Garden under the control of Maleficent who intends to use Kingdom Hearts for her own dark purposes. Can Cloud save the ones he left behind? Cloud/Aerith, Sora/Kairi, post KH2
1. Dead Meat

_**Author's Note: **__Hello everyone! Nice to meet you all! Welcome to my first KH fic that I've been planning on for weeks, but finally got around to posting. I hope you all will receive it warmly and review. Some background info: Takes place after KH2, I am not adding in Unbirths from Birth by Sleep since I don't know where they came from and stuff, and there will be no OCs. Sorry, but I just don't like them in the KH universe. . . I don't know why . . . hmmm. Also, this my first time writing as Cloud so he may seem a little out of character, but I'll improve as the chapters keep coming. Now, please enjoy!_

"_To run away from danger, instead of facing it, is to deny one's faith in man and God, even one's own self. It were better for one to drown oneself than live to declare such bankruptcy of faith."_

-_Mahatma Gandhi__, November 24, 1946_

He was gone.

Again.

The one that embodied the darkness me, my mortal enemy, Sephiroth was gone.

Sephiroth.

That name instantly brought anger coursing through my veins. He was everything I hated and once he was gone so would all of my problems. But, Sephiroth was gone. We had been locked in battle for days—no, months and then we both reached our breaking points.

More rage built up inside of me thinking about it.

He had smirked and simply put his sword away; I had charged at him. But, he vanished. And his words continued to echo in my mind,

"_It's been fun, but I've had my fill. After all, there's only so much chaos that you can let happen without you. I'll see you again. Soon." _

Soon, he had said. I knew that wouldn't be a good thing. Sephiroth never gave up, never was satisfied till he got the upper hand on someone. And with help from Tifa—

Oh, God.

Tifa, Leon, Sora, Aerith—everyone. How long had I been away from them? It couldn't have been days, could it? I had been tracking Sephiroth here for at least two months, eating when I could and doing everything else I needed to do where I could. And then I had found Sephiroth on the outskirts of town.

Waiting for me.

So, we had begun to fight. We fought all day and all night pushing our bodies to the limit, each determined to best the other. And with help from Tifa, I had managed to get the upper hand.

No, it wasn't just Tifa.

It was everyone.

Tifa had given me strength. After all, she was strong both physically and mentally. She could break a cliffside and endure the worst pain ever imaginable. Tifa was . . . Tifa. There was no other way to describe her.

Leon had given me perseverance. He embodied that word. Leon had knocked me to the ground countless times in training sessions. Sometimes, I would bounce back up with a sarcastic comment. But sometimes, I wouldn't want to get up. Sometimes, it would seem too hard for me. Then, Leon would tell me what he had told me all the countless times before:

"_How are you going to beat your darkness if you just lie there? Are you giving up? Cause if you are then you'll never be free. Do you hear me Cloud? Never. Now, get up and prove me wrong. Prove that you can win against it. C'mon get up!_"

And that was that. I would get up and fight.

Sora was another story completely. The kid was an idiot sometimes. He was so happy and so completely trusting of people that I sometimes wondered if his enemies exploited that. Sora was also a klutz. He could be staring at something off in the distance and bump into a wall or a person.

But Sora was also a fighter. He had fought to save the worlds and his friends. He had died to save Kairi and he had fought his best friend, Riku. He had also saved Riku from the Dark. Sora took on other people's problems too and would protect strangers. He had saved me after I nearly killed him in Olympus.

To me, Sora was light shining on those around him.

And I used the light that he knew I had inside of me.

And Aerith . . . gave me a reason to fight.

Her.

I fought to protect her, to keep a smile on her face and to never see her sad. I fought to make her proud of me. She was the one person that was always waiting for me to come back when I left.

She knew me. I mean _really_ knew me. Those green eyes of her could see straight through me any day. They could see all the darkness and yet still find the light. And that smile . . . it was full of pure light.

Aerith was my light—my guiding star.

And what had I done? Left her—left all of them to fight my own battle alone.

But, it was to protect them—or was it? Was I afraid to let them help me because I couldn't live with the guilt if one of them got hurt? Was it for a selfish reason?

Yeah, it probably was.

But, whatever reason it was for, I had made a choice.

And now, I had to live with the consequences like I had done in the past.

I looked up at the setting sun and wiped some sweat away from my brow.

But one thing I knew for sure.

I lifted my buster sword and placed on my shoulder and began to walk forward.

Yuffie was going to kill me.

And my gut told me she wasn't going to be the only one.

_**Author's Note: **__Well? Did it you guys hooked? I hope y'all liked it . . . please review!_


	2. Home and Family

_**Author's Note: **__Hello again! Thanks to everyone reading this and to my reviewers. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as the last! _

"_Home is a place in the mind. When it is empty, it frets. It is fretful with memory, faces and places and times gone by. Beloved images rise up in disobedience and make a mirror for emptiness."_

_-Maeve Brennan_

I wasn't sure if I could call Radiant Garden my home. I had never had home, never really fit in anywhere. Wasn't home where your family was? Wasn't it a safe haven in the darkness? Wasn't it a place you could always fall back on whenever you were lost?

No, that seemed to be too much for just a place to fill.

Aerith had told me once before what home was. It had been a day before I left, only 3 months ago, but it seemed like an eternity. I had been in the library, reading something which was probably unimportant now.

I hate to admit it, but I was hiding from her.

But, Aerith always had a way of finding me no matter where I was hiding.

"_Hey!" _She greeted, cheerfully._ "I thought I might find you here."_ She sat down in the chair across from me.

I kept staring at the pages.

She snatched the book from my possession and placed in on the table beside her.

"_Leon told me that you were planning on leaving."_ I didn't say anything; she pressed on. _"He said that you were leaving to find Sephiroth."_

"_So?"_ I asked, avoiding those sea-blue eyes of hers. The ones that I always seemed to lose myself in. _"It's nothing that you need to concern yourself with, Aerith." _

"_I suppose so,"_ She murmured. She looked at the floor for a second and then met my gaze. She reached across and grabbed one of my hands with both of hers. _"But, Cloud, we all need you here!"_

I froze and looked at Aerith's eyes. They were filled with panic and desperation.

"_Why?"_ I asked, simply.

"_Cloud, you're part of our family."_ She replied, smiling. _"Families need to stick to together because they're weak without one another."_

"_You'll all do fine without me. Leon can take care of everything."_ I told her, trying to be assuring since Aerith worried constantly.

"_That's not the point,"_ She merely replied. _"We'll miss you."_ And then in a softer voice added, _"I'll miss you."_

My heart stopped beating and then restarted.

"_I—I . . ."_ My voice faded away.

Then I did what I was best at.

I ran away.

I just got up and left her sitting in that library without so much as one word.

Now, I was living with the consequences. Again.

I saw the hill up ahead and began to run. At the top, I would be able to see Radiant Garden.

I was almost there! My feet sped up and I reached the top in no time.

But, what I saw horrified me. Radiant Garden had reverted back to Hollow Bastion.

I only had one thought on my mind:

"Aerith!"

_**Author's Note: **__Well? Was it sweet enough? Do I have Cloud down yet, or do I still need to work on it?_


	3. Through the Smoke

_**Author's Note: **__Hello, again! Not much to say other than there will be an explanation about what's going on next chapter. Please enjoy!_

"_Now, through the smoke, she calls to me  
To make my way across the flame  
To save the day  
Or maybe melt away  
I guess it's all the same."_

_Buffy the Vampire Slayer-"Walk through the Fire"-__**Once More with Feeling**_

My mind couldn't process what was going on.

The town where I had left everyone behind—safe—was back to its old evil self. Darkness had overtaken it.

And I felt like it was my fault.

If I had simply stayed put, for once, this would've never happened. Everyone would be in the town square, smiling, happy—safe.

But no, I had left. I had left them unprotected. I had left _her_ unprotected.

I hung my head in shame.

She had told me that everyone needed me and I had just brushed it off like I didn't care. Aerith had put her trust into me and I had betrayed it. And now, she was—

I bolted back into panic mode.

I had no idea where Aerith was or if she was safe or even if she was . . . alive. If Aerith had died while I was gone, I would never forgive myself. She was everything to me and I had . . . I had let her down. I had let her down and let everyone else down. How could I let such a thing happen? Why couldn't I have just faced my fears instead of running from them? Why did I always run?

A heartless appeared in front of me. It was a lowly shadow and seemed to be happy to take someone's heart. It moved closer, ready to make its move. I didn't care anymore. I had failed everyone already so what did it matter if I lost my heart?

"Cloud!"

I knew instantly that it was her voice. I lifted my head up and saw her. She was looking at me, panic in her green eyes. Smoke was starting to make her vanish, but I still could hear her.

"Cloud, this way!" I pulled out my sword and sliced the heartless and moved to where I had seen her. More shadows appeared.

"Move!" I shouted, slicing two of them blocking me and then charging at the others that surrounded me. I sprinted to where Aerith was standing surrounded by more shadows.

"Cloud!" She called relief in her eyes. I managed to smile and quickly destroyed the shadows that had gotten in her way. "You came back!" She threw her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.

I stood there awkwardly for a second, until I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm back."

She beamed.

"I'm so relieved!" She put her head down on my shoulder and after a few seconds, I felt wet.

"Aerith, are you crying?" I whispered.

"I'm just so happy!" She sobbed. "Everyone thought that the Heartless had gotten you, but Sora and I refused to believe it!" I gently lifted her head up.

"Sora's here?"

"Yeah, with the others." She answered. I checked our surroundings and knew it wasn't safe for us to talk here.

"Take me to them." She nodded and took my hand.

"This way!"

And we were sprinting through the smoke once again.

_**Author's Note: **__Well, hope y'all liked it. Please review!_


	4. No Guilt

_**Author's Note: **__Um . . . hi? Remember this story? Well, it's back! Sorry for taking forever! (bows) I lost my muse for this story and then started working on so many others that I . . . well, kind of forgot about this one. Anyway, please enjoy and expect frequent updates from now on!_

"_Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies."_

–_Ann Landers_

We ran for a long time carefully avoiding heartless. Aerith was skinnier than the last time I had seen her. Her brown hair and beautiful eyes had seemed to dull since the last time I had seen them. I felt a wave of guilt wash through me. She had obviously suffered since I had left.

I had left.

That sentence just wouldn't leave my head. I had left her and look where that had gotten her. She was not looking as healthy as she should and that was my fault. In fact, this whole mess was my fault. If I had just stayed—

"Cloud," Her voice snapped me out of it. I reluctantly met her gaze. Her eyes pierced my soul and I felt like she was reading it like an open book. I felt my head bow in shame. Her cool hand grabbed mine. "This isn't your fault."

"Aerith, it is my—"

"No!" She snapped. I felt her squeeze my hand tighter as I could tell that she was desperately trying to reach me. "Don't blame yourself for this! Cloud, the town would've fallen even if you were here. There were so many Heartless!" She looked away from me and I could tell that she was lost in her memories. When she finally came back to me, she seemed worried and tired. "The others told me that they were sure you were dead. I . . . I refused to believe it. I knew that you were out there somewhere! Sora and I both did." A tear slowly slid down her cheek and I wiped it away. She embraced me and sobbed. "Please, don't do this Cloud! Don't let your guilt consume you because I need you now!"

I don't know what it was. Maybe it was her voice. Maybe it was the way she was crying or perhaps, it was the way she looked, but I kissed her. I wanted to desperately calm her fears and make her feel safe again. I wanted to assure her that I was alive and I wasn't going to leave her again. I just wanted her to feel safe. Eventually, she pulled back and held my hand.

"Let's go," I mumbled.

"Right," She agreed and she led me to Merlin's house. She explained that while the town itself was pretty much infested, Merlin had been able to cast a spell to protect his house and the area surrounding it. I hesitated at the door. The others . . . they had to hate me for what I had done. I had deserted them when they had needed me most. I had no right to associate with them. I couldn't—

The door opened and I was taken in surprise. Sora, the chosen Keyblade bearer, stood before me and his eyes widened in shock. He glanced at Aerith, then at me, and then back to Aerith. After what seemed like an eternity, he yelled my name and hugged me.

"I knew it!" He exclaimed as he quickly let go of me. "Aerith and I knew you were alive! Nothing could stop you, Cloud!" Sora was exactly the same now as he was when I left him. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement and curiosity and he seemed pretty healthy.

"Where are the others?" I asked quietly.

"Leon, Merlin, and Yuffie went to see if they could put a spell on another part of town," Sora explained. "And the King is with Donald and Goofy. I can go get them for—"

"No," I interjected. "It's alright. I think it's best if you fill me in on what exactly happened while I was gone."

"Alright," The chosen one answered. "Come in and sit down. It'll take awhile for me to tell."

_**Author's Note: **__Review please!_


	5. Backstory

_**Author's Note: **__I had fun with this chapter! I hope you enjoy it! _

_"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now."_

—_Unknown_

Sora sat at Merlin's wooden table. It was then I noticed the bags under his eyes. He obviously hadn't been getting enough sleep and I knew that was my fault. The chosen one probably had to fight tons of Heartless in order to make sure that no innocent people were hurt. He had the Keyblade by his side, and I remembered the first time I had seen it in Olympus Coliseum. It was strange how much Sora had matured from then. Sure, he was still as naïve as ever and he still believed that everyone could be saved from the darkness that lurked inside them, but he had gone through things—horrible things—and he had come through scarred from them.

But he had survived and learned from these events and I could tell that it had made him stronger.

"It was about a week after you left," Sora began and I could see the darkness flash in his eyes. It had been a rough time for everyone here. The guilt began to well up inside of me again when I felt Aerith's hand tightening around mine. I met her gaze and I felt instantly calmed. It was amazing how much effect her gaze had on me. "Donald, Goofy, and I had stopped into town to check on everyone and then—"He stopped and looked away and then smirked. "I'm not even how it happened to be honest, but suddenly Heartless began to appear in the town square."

"There were a lot of them," Aerith added quietly. "But Sora and the others managed to take them out."

"We thought that was it," Sora admitted, looking away from my gaze. "But soon more and more of them began to show up and soon it everyone from the town had fled except for us. Now, all we have is this house to protect us from the darkness that surrounds us now." He ran a hand through his spiked hair. "After we didn't hear from you, Leon and the others assumed that the Heartless had gotten you on your way out of town."

"But you didn't believe that?" I questioned.

And that's when he did something typically Sora. He looked up and gave me the brightest smile ever. I smirked because Radiant Garden was turning back into Hollow Bastion and Sora was smiling. Sometimes I wondered about him.

"No way!" Sora exclaimed. "I knew you were alive and so did Aerith."

"But how?" I persisted. "It's a completely logical theory."

"I just knew," He answered. "I could feel your presence in my heart and I knew you were still alive. Your heart is connected to everyone you care about, Cloud, and that's how I knew you were alright."

He sounded so earnest during this, so convinced, that I couldn't help but believe him. Sure, Sora was a naïve idiot, but he was also a trusted ally and a friend. I knew that he was telling truth no matter how unrealistic it sounded.

The door opened and Leon walked in followed by Merlin and Yuffie. I stood as soon as I saw them and I could see Leon's breath rush out of him—like he had just been punched. Yuffie's eyes widened and then filled with tears as she smiled and jumped up and down for joy. Merlin was muttering something that I couldn't hear, but he was smiling.

"Cloud," Leon mumbled as he took a step towards me. "You're alright."

"Yeah," I whispered. I had always felt awkward in situations like these. I never liked to be the center of attention. I just wanted to fade into the background and wait until this moment had passed, but I knew I couldn't.

"Yeah," Leon repeated as he stepped closer to me. "That's all you have to say?"

"Leon," Yuffie cautioned.

I met his gaze.

"Yeah," I replied. "Sorry."

For a second, I thought Leon was going to punch me. I deserved it. I had left when they had needed me most and then had worried all of them to no end. The pain that they must've gone through because they thought I was dead must have been excruciating.

Instead, Leon simply pulled me roughly into a hug and I was too shocked to do anything. Leon never hugged anyone. Ever.

"I'm glad you're alright," He told me and then let go. He looked to Sora. "You've told him everything?" The chosen one nodded. "Good,"

"How did your mission go?" Aerith asked worriedly. "Did you succeed?"

"No," Answered Yuffie. "Stupid Heartless showed up right at the last second and interrupted the whole thing!" She sighed and then smiled brightly at me. "But hey, at first you don't succeed—"

A shrill alarm pierced the whole room.

"You got and beat up some more Heartless!" She instantly sprinted out the door.

"An alarm that alerts us to large gatherings of Heartless," Leon explained, heading for the door. "Sora, Cloud, let's go!"

I nodded and followed the others.

It was time to start making up for the mess I made by leaving them.

_**Author's Note: **__Review please! _


	6. Bad

_**Author's Note: **__Sorry this chapter is so short, but I didn't want to deal with a huge Maleficent showdown right now. Next chapter will be super long! Enjoy! _

"_You show people what you're willing to fight for when you fight your friends."_

—_Hillary Rodham Clinton_

We sprinted out the door leaving Aerith and Merlin behind and we raced through the abandoned corridors of the town. It was my first chance to see that things had definitely changed while I was gone. Buildings had fallen apart or were destroyed, places where people had used to gather were now empty and bare, and the whole town was quiet save for us. The feeling of emptiness really consumed this place and it made me feel . . . well, more guilty than usual.

"See them?" Leon called up to Yuffie who was running ahead of the group.

"Nothing yet!" She yelled back, but then she stopped abruptly. "Wait!" The group came to a standstill as we saw a swarm of Heartless in the town square.

"Well, that's a lot," Sora muttered, raising his Keyblade. "Think we can handle this many?"

I couldn't help, but smirk as I flashed back to the conversation I had with Leon when we too had been surrounded by Heartless.

"We're gonna have to," I muttered. "Ready?"

"Of course!" Sora answered and the group prepared for battle.

"Thunder!" We looked up as a lightning bolt struck the center of the square as some of the Heartless were wiped out. A shield then spun into the fray and more the Heartless faded away. A few slashes of what I recognized as the King's Keyblade and half of the mass of Heartless were taken care of. Donald, Goofy, and the King appeared before us and prepared for the fight.

"Let's do this!" Sora shouted and we all ran our separate directions into the fray. I focused on the fight and tried to keep my goal in sight. I needed to protect my friends, the people who needed me to be strong for them right now. This was my way to atone for what I had done to them. I raised my buster sword and plunged it into the chest of a shadow effectively eliminating it. There were so many though and I was unsure of how many Heartless there were and if they were only Shadows or something more powerful.

"Cloud, duck!" I did as I was ordered as Yuffie's katana went flying above my head. It destroyed another shadow before flying gracefully back to her hand. She smirked as I stood up. "Wouldn't want your spiky hair to be messed up!" She skipped away to fight some more and I suppressed a small smile. Yuffie certainly hadn't changed much.

"Stop it right there!" A booming voice commanded as the Heartless subsided and the sky clouded. A cold gust of wind blew through the empty square and I saw Sora's body tense. I gripped my buster sword a little tighter. This was going to be bad.

Maleficent gracefully stepped out from the shadows and smirked.

Yeah, this was going to be bad.

_**Author's Note: **__Please review! _


	7. A Deal

_**Author's Note: **__A long chapter! Yay! Enjoy! _

"_The sun also shines on the wicked."_

—_Seneca _

"Well, well," The regally sinister voice remarked as she glanced over us. "If it isn't the Keyblade bearer and his companions." Her mouth twisted upwards into a devilish grin. Her heartless came by her side and she placed her staff on the ground.

"Maleficent," Sora hissed as Donald and Goofy came to stand behind him. I was a bit worried. It wasn't like Maleficent to halt an attack—especially if she had the advantage—unless she had some other plan in mind. "Get out of this town."

"And go where, Chosen one?" She questioned sarcastically. "I quite enjoy this town and I think it would be the perfect place to begin my empire."

"Hate to burst your bubble," Yuffie shouted as energetically as usual. "But like we would let you do that!" Maleficent laughed and as the clouds above darkened. I suppressed a shudder as I realized that something else was in store here and that it wasn't something good.

"Well, resistance is expected," The witch replied as she let her gaze drift to Sora. "How are your friends, Sora? Are they well? I trust Riku is on your side once more?" Sora's grip on the Keyblade tightened and I could tell that Maleficent was trying to get him riled up for some reason, but why? I took a step and stood in front of Sora, obscuring him from Maleficent's view. The demon then looked into my eyes, but I held my ground. There was no way I was going to let her hurt anyone ever again.

"She's up to something," I mumbled and I saw Leon nod. "I think she wants Sora." Instantly, Yuffie was backing me up, katana raised high.

"Take Sora?" She questioned. "Like I'll let her do that!"

"Ah Cloud," Maleficent sighed as she tilted her head to the left. "If I remember correctly, you too have dabbled in the darkness. Come to redeem yourself once more?" I frowned, but didn't reply. Simply raising my sword higher, I prepared for anything she might throw at us. If she did want Sora, there was no way she was getting him today. The King came up and stood next to me, tossing a smile in my direction.

"Cloud may have been lost," He began. "But he came back. And golly, that's means something!" Another evil laugh from Maleficent as she rolled her eyes.

"You all are such simpletons!" Her hand sliced through the air and opened up a black vortex. "Light shall never conquer the dark." Legions of Shadows began to pour out from the portal and I stiffened. This was going to be one hell of a fight. "And I assure you, that you will all perish at the hands of the darkness!"

"Go!" Leon shouted and instantly I sprung forward and began plowing down the Heartless that stood in my way. I could hear thunderclaps from Donald's magic and a path was clear so that I could reach Maleficent and the vortex. Sprinting, I bridged the distance to where she was standing with that annoying look of confidence in her eyes. Her hand simply extended in front of her and I was frozen in place.

"You honestly didn't think it would be this easy, did you?" Slowly, she walked past me and over to the others who were also frozen in place. I could feel my heart beating worriedly as she approached Sora. "So much light . . . I wonder how long it'll take before I can extinguish it?" Her hands touched the Keyblade and she was flung back. Sora moved into a defensive position. "So, my spell is broken over you, Chosen One?"

"Release my friends," He demanded. "Or I'll make you."

"Will you?" She challenged a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I highly doubt that but I have no need of them." Deliberately, she marched over to Yuffie and a yellow light appeared in one of her hands. "So, I'll just finish them off since—"

"No!" Sora shouted and she smirked.

"Very well then," Maleficent hissed. "Perhaps, we could make a deal?" I wanted to scream at Sora to just leave us because she was after him and he couldn't be so stupid as to not see that!

"What do you want?" Sora questioned.

"You for all of them." Sora glanced at all of us and then stared at the ground. Please don't do this, I begged but nothing would escape my mouth.

"Deal." Sora replied.

"Deal." She snapped her fingers and I fell to the ground, able to move once more.

Only to see Sora vanish into the black vortex with Maleficent.

_**Author's Note: **__Please review! _


	8. Why?

_**Author's Note: **__Happy Thanksgiving! Please enjoy! _

"_We experience moments absolutely free from worry. These brief respites are called panic."_

— _Cullen Hightower_

"He's gone," Yuffie muttered. "But how could he—?"

"Regroup," Leon ordered quietly. "At Merlin's house. Now."

No one moved for a few seconds. I could barely understand what was going on. Sora, the Chosen One, had just traded himself for all of us? How could be so stupid and naïve! He had to have known that if he did the trade that he would get himself killed!

"Sora," I mumbled and then spun around and began to make my way back to Merlin's. "Idiot!" No one else said anything and I could tell that they were all still in shock. How could this happen? This shouldn't be happening! Aerith was waiting at the door, a happy expression on her face. This news would definitely not sit well with her and I would hate telling her.

"Cloud!" She greeted cheerfully with a wave. Slowly, the expression changed as realization dawned on her face. "What is it?"

"Sit down," I told her gruffly. Aerith reluctantly did as she was told. Her green eyes met mine and I forced myself to hold her gaze. She needed to know this. "Sora was taken by Maleficent." I could see the denial enter her eyes for a few seconds and then as she looked at everyone and saw that the Keyblade bearer was not there, I saw panic appear on her beautiful face.

"But how?" She questioned. "Sora isn't the one to get—"

"He traded himself for all of us," Yuffie explained. "I mean, I knew he was naïve and everything but I never expected . . ." Her voice trailed off in disbelief.

"What do we do now?" Merlin asked quietly and I nearly jumped at the Wizard's presence. I had forgotten that he had decided to stay behind.

"Donald, Goofy," The King's regal voice rang out and I noticed Sora's two companions stiffen. I could tell they were trying to hide their pain. Losing someone that they had been so close to must be hard. I wondered why they had not spoken up yet. "We're going to get help."

"Help?" I asked and the King nodded, a grim expression on his face.

"There's two other people that can help us get Sora back," The King explained with a sigh. "I'd like to bring them here." Donald and Goofy nodded, but I wondered if they were really pleased with leaving.

"You mean Riku and Kairi?" Leon questioned somberly. Riku and Kairi . . . weren't they the two people that Sora had been searching for during his travels? His two best friends from the islands . . . but how could they help? If anything, their feelings for Sora would get in the way of rational thought.

"Yes," The King replied. "With Riku's Keyblade and Kairi's powers as a Princess of Heart, I think they can help us out." Leon nodded thoughtfully and I stole a glance at Aerith. She had composed herself but I could still make out the traces of worry on her face.

"Very well," Leon answered. "In the meantime, we'll try and pinpoint Sora's location."

"Sounds like a plan," Replied the King. "Be back in a jiffy!" Quickly, he and Donald and Goofy left the room and I wondered if getting Sora's friends involved would save him.

I had to believe it would because if Sora were to . . . if he were to be hurt, I would lose the little faith I had in the power of light.

_**Author's Note: **__Review please! _


	9. Lost Words

"_One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter," _

—_James Earl Jones_

Kairi took a deep breath in.

Standing on the beach, she watched the sun begin to set—the beautiful, brilliant star was setting in a fiery burst of colors of pinks, reds, and yellows. The sand was warm underneath her feet and the rolling waves' sound calmed her.

It was moments like these that she wished that Sora was here. Sora, her boyfriend, although she wasn't sure she could call him that considering the two of them had never been on a proper date. He was always busy saving the worlds and she was always left behind. She loved him anyways and she wished she could tell him that. It was the words unsaid that hurt her the most. Not the fact that Sora was physically gone from her—though that did hurt as well—and not the fact that he was always in danger. It was the idea that there would always be these words plaguing her heart that she might never get to say.

And Kairi had realized that with Sora, there was never enough time to say everything you wanted to say.

"Kairi!"

She froze. She knew Riku's voice and she knew that that tone—that panicked, worried tone—only meant one thing:

Sora was in trouble.

He had used that tone when all three of them were kids and Sora had fallen from one of their island's many coconut trees. That tone had been used when Sora had been stupid and had gotten himself into a brawl with one the other kids in the 4th grade. In short, hearing such a tone from Riku meant that Sora was in trouble.

He had calmed himself down by the time he had skidded to a halt in front of her. With a panicked look in his eyes and a semi-calm tone, he explained to her what had happened and what she needed to do.

Sora was gone.

She needed to go with Riku and head to Radiant Garden to try and help find him.

Sora was gone.

She couldn't panic. She needed to focus.

Sora was gone.

"Kairi, breathe," Riku told her, rubbing her shoulders. "It's going to be okay."

Sora was gone.

And with a start, Kairi realized that Sora could be dead right now. He could be bleeding to death or already dead and she hadn't told him how she felt.

With resolve shooting through her veins, Kairi forced herself to breathe while silently promising herself to tell Sora how she felt.

Because she couldn't lose him. Not again.


	10. Sacrifice

_**Author's Note: **It's been awhile, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

"_I made sacrifices willingly; it was what I did best." _

_-Karen McCarthy_

Sora frowned as his vision swam before him. He stood shakily and summoned his Keyblade. The shimmering light revealed his weapon of choice and Sora swung it a few times in mid-air. His body was a bit stiff; but other than that, he was unharmed.

And more importantly, everyone was safe. Leon, Cloud, and the others wouldn't be hurt by Maleficent, which was a huge relief. Speaking of Maleficent, Sora thought as his eyes scanned where he was, where was she?

"I see you've awakened," Maleficent's slightly regal voice said as she stepped into the lighted center of the room. Sora thought for a second and then suddenly recognition filled his eyes. He knew where he was—the castle chapel in the Castle! He was close to his friends and he would be able to go back to them. "Now, why don't you put that silly toy down?"

"Toy?" Sora questioned. "This 'toy' has defeated you before Maleficent!"

"Yes," Maleficent replied, her eyes locked with the Keyblade's chosen one. "I remember all of our last battles, Sora." The way she said his name made him shudder and feel disgusted. Maleficent was pure evil and all she wanted was to extinguish all light from the worlds. Sora would never stand for that. He would put an end to this now!

"What do you want, Maleficent?" Sora hissed, readying himself for an attack.

"Why, Sora," She muttered. "What I want is the power to use that accursed weapon you possess." Sora felt shock enter his system. She wanted the Keyblade? Why?

"You'll never be able to use this!" Sora challenged.

"True," Maleficent nodded her head in agreement. "But I can have you use it for me." Sora suddenly got the feeling that she had been planning something for a long time. That battle in the town—that couldn't have been just random!

"Never!" Sora shouted.

"Then, how about for your friends' sakes?" She questioned and Sora was slightly taken aback. Maleficent smiled ever so slightly and took a step closer to him. Sora raised his weapon higher, prepared to strike at any moment. "I will destroy your friends, Sora, unless you surrender. I will summon Heartless hordes so powerful that they will never have a moment's rest. They will perish and you will be the one to blame."

"I don't believe you!" Sora yelled defiantly. Maleficent smirked.

"Is that so?" She waved her staff and the green orb glowed impossibly bright and blinded Sora. When the light finally dimmed, the chapel had been overrun by countless Armored Knight Heartless. "Care to risk it?" Sora felt doubt fill his system. He trusted Leon and the others, but they had been overwhelmed before and by a way smaller number of Heartless. Could he really risk their lives when he could just sacrifice his own to protect them?

"You won't get away with this," Sora swore. "Even if I fall, the others will finish you for good." Her response chilled him to his very core.

"Oh, I'm counting on it," She muttered. With a wave of her hand, the Armored Knights vanished. "Now, come with me."

Sora took one last look at his surroundings. He wasn't sure if this would be last moment alive or even as himself. Who knew what Maleficent had in store for him? Subconsciously, he pulled out Kairi's lucky charm and absently stroked it. He frowned.

It looked like he wasn't going to be able to fulfill his promise to her, after all.

_**Author's Note: **Please review!_


End file.
